5 Tips to Organize Your Home Office

Working from home gives you the freedom to create and manage your workspace whatever you want. Nevertheless, having an office in your house can be both a gift and a curse. It's easy to lose sight of our surroundings when we're so concentrated on our tasks.

It is common knowledge that a tidy, well-organized workspace boosts productivity. Eliminating clutter reduces tension and allows you to concentrate on your work rather than cleaning. So, here are a few recommendations for cleaning and organizing your office so that you can stay productive! Now that we’ve all been working, schooling, and playing from home for several months, it’s time to get serious about sprucing up your home office.

1. Define your home office space

When attempting to build a tranquil home office, we frequently overlook this crucial step. The home office, more than any other space, can be used for a variety of purposes: office, extra storage space, piano or reading room, kids playroom, and so on.

If the area is large enough, it's fine if it's dedicated to a couple of these things, but it can't be all of them. Set some boundaries for what this space can be. Is it possible to transfer some other activities out of this area?

There's a good chance that there are things in your office that don't belong there. Toys, clothes, games, and other items. This appears to be most common if your workplace is not a separate space, but rather a small section of another room. For example, it is so simple to use your designated office space in the living room to store your kids’ toys for the evening. But in the morning, they are still there and sometimes you just don’t have the time to clean it up, so they end up there all day long.

When things become bad enough, it's time to empty the drawers, cabinets, organizers, and start over. How many times have you attempted to arrange your drawers but only managed to move a few items around? Remove everything, place everything in a mound, and restart. It'll take a lot of effort, but the result will be worth it.

In a typical office setting, different locations are used for different motives. Although a home office might not have the same footprint as a traditional office, it can be organized in a similar manner.

One component of your office, most likely a desk area, will be dedicated to actually handling work. Try to keep this area completely focused on your current task, with all necessary files and information readily available. You may also want to utilize this area for mail, paperwork, and other planned activities.

Depending on your line of work, a reference area may be beneficial. Group everything together, whether it's extra equipment, reference books, or other things that can help you with your usual daily chores. A filing cabinet is generally an excellent addition to this space, as it can store files that are rarely viewed but are still vital.

You may also require a supply storage facility that can be refilled as needed. Create a room for printing, scanning, faxing, and other similar needs in the supply area or elsewhere as space permits. Finally, a home office arrangement that divides separate rooms for the most basic necessities is easier to manage and maintain.

2. Throw things out

If tossing anything away feels like cleaning a root canal, you might be a packrat. It's time to make some difficult choices. You don't need 50 pens, four staplers, or a dozen half-empty markers. It's doubtful that you'll need it again — ever — if you haven't used it in three or four years. It will take some time, but look through old paperwork in and around your desk to determine what you need to save and what may be thrown away.

If you want your office to be tidy, start by completing an inventory of the products you need and those you don't. Go around your office and categorize what you use on a daily basis, what you use occasionally, and what you never use. The next step is to collect the garbage and file the materials you currently use as well as those you may use in the future. If any of the products you don't use are still in good working order, consider donating them rather than throwing them away. You may have to work hard to get rid of some of the goods you don't use. But what is the point of maintaining them if they aren't useful?

However, cleaning once and then forgetting about it, like most people do, will not help you stay organized in the long run. Cleaning your desk should be an intentional habit, much like scheduling emails and attending meetings. When you do this, you will never have an untidy workplace again. To do so, you'll need a workable formula, and you'll want to choose one that works best for you. You might be able to conduct your usual cleaning in one-hour intervals. That way you will not only be more productive, but you will also feel more at ease when inviting visitors to your office if you do this.

3. Scan it!

In a modern world, you do not need to work with tons of papers daily. Scan everything that’s important to you & make digitized copies. You may do it yourself with an inexpensive scanner or ask for help in a copy center. There are also apps available for your mobile phone or tablet that can scan documents.

When you're finished, make sure to organize and back up your files on your computer. Use a cloud service or save a copy on flash drives. If you use flash drives, make sure to store them somewhere safe, cool, and dry. Check your saved data every year or two for safety's sake to make sure it's still legible — and that the device you used to store the data can still be read by modern computer equipment.

4. Clear desk, clear mind

In the majority of cases, the desk is the main point of any office. A tidy desk, whether at home or at work, encourages productivity. However, desks are usually the main area that attracts clutter as they are the space where we actually work on.

You will be more easily distracted if your desk is cluttered. The more easily you get distracted, the less work you get done — and this isn't just our opinion; there's a lot of evidence to back it up. Clutter (or numerous stimuli) clogs up your visual field, which clogs up your brain. In other words, your brain is unsure what to do with all of the visual information going on at your desk.

Fortunately, the cure is simple: clear your desk as much as possible. It's preferable to keep only those items on your workstations that you're working on right now; anything else should go into a storage bin or a filing cabinet.

A clean, uncluttered desk will help you be more efficient at work, as well as bring a sense of peace to your workspace. Here are some quick and easy ways to organize and clean your desk:

Group similar items together

Store writing tools, adapters, electronics, and other miscellaneous items in a set of your drawers. Basically, it's a storage facility for items that can’t find their place - in other words, a jumble of disarray.

The chaos makes it extremely difficult to find a random cable or anything else when you need it, which is the problem here. The aim is to shrink these drawers into much smaller storage drawers and bins, so you can find the things you need more easily in the future.

Label things

We've all been in that situation. You're desperately looking for that one crucial item that you can't seem to discover. As you dig among various pieces of paper, a tiny fear sets in, and you're relieved when you eventually find it. But you've just wasted a half-hour and are possibly in even more of a mess than you were before.

This is where labels come in handy! With a handy label maker or a permanent marker label your organizers, files, and shelves that store your stuff. Color-coded folders, project jackets, and legal-size envelopes can also be used to construct an organizing system. Our eyes are fast to focus on the colors we seek. This can be taken a step further by writing on calendars and white boards with matching colored pens.

Hide chargers and electrical wires

Have you considered how much of a difference it would make in your office if you’d simply hide the chargers and electrical wires? Exposed cables and charges give your office a disorganized appearance, which can be embarrassing when dealing with clients. If it's messy for you, it's probably messy for others as well. If your chargers and power wires are exposed, and you think your office looks like a mess, it's a clear sign. Using a surge protector is the best option because it keeps all of the cords connected to the same outlet. If your desk office has an open back, you can hide all the wires by putting them in the drawer.

5. Surround yourself with beauty

Many remote employees miss the everyday companionship with coworkers because offices are naturally sociable spaces. As a result, it's critical to make your home office as nice and appealing as possible, so you look forward to going there every day. Natural light is an excellent method to brighten up your area; if possible, seek a place with south-facing windows to get the most sunlight.

Incorporating your personal decorating style, in addition to natural lighting, can also help make your home office feel comfortable and appropriate to work. Bringing beautiful artifacts into your office can be a way to organize your environment, despite the fact that it may seem paradoxical. You'll be more likely to maintain your home free of clutter if you surround yourself with stuff you enjoy. This will allow you to fully appreciate your belongings without being distracted by clutter.

In fact, according to research conducted by the University of Exeter, personalizing a workstation enhanced participants' productivity by 32%. Take a tour to the home goods store to pick up a few candles, greeneries, posters, or other design pieces that complement your personal style. You could also use a removable wallpaper – it's very quick and simple!